STOCKTON - Alex Serrano grew up in two of Stockton's most dangerous neighborhoods, often falling asleep to the sounds of gunshots and sirens.

He was born in the Sierra Vista housing project and raised in south Stockton, where lives are routinely lost to gang violence and drugs. Even as a young boy, Serrano insisted he would make his community safer someday, and now he will have his chance.

The 23-year-old Franklin High School graduate fulfilled a lifelong dream Friday when he was sworn in as a Stockton police officer. Dressed sharply in a black suit with a gray and burgundy tie, Serrano raised his right hand and took an oath to protect and serve his hometown.

"It felt a little bit surreal," Serrano said after the swearing-in ceremony, which was held in the Community Room at police headquarters on East Market Street. "I felt like I was dreaming the entire time."

Serrano's parents, Mexican immigrants who toiled for years as farm workers in the fields of San Joaquin County, sat in the front row watching with pride. Raul and Laura Serrano were joined by their four other children: Maria, 26; Raul Jr., 25; Albert, 21; and Andrew, 12.

"I'm very proud," Laura Serrano said. "Alex always wanted to be a police officer, and he worked so hard at it."

Maria Serrano marveled at the young man her brother has become, saying he conquered his surroundings with focus and discipline.

"My siblings and I were all exposed to the dangers of falling into gangs, drugs and violence, but with the help of my parents and the values they instilled in us, we were able to overcome all that," said Maria Serrano, who graduated from California State University, Sacramento, with a degree in criminal justice and now studies law at Humphreys College in Stockton. "I think Alex is going to make an exceptional role model for the youth and young men his age. I hope that someone from our community can see his story and just think, 'Hey, he made it, and where he lived didn't hold him back.' "

Sensing he needed direction to keep him off the streets and out of trouble, Alex Serrano joined the Stockton Police Youth Activities boxing club at the age of 14. He quickly grew to admire his coaches and police officers who trained at the gym.

"I saw how they walked with their head up high, dressed in their uniforms, and it was just something I wanted to accomplish," Serrano said.

According to Officer Joe Silva, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department and president of Stockton Police Youth Activities, Serrano is the first product of its boxing club to join the police force in Stockton.

"Alex knew going to the gym after school would steer him toward his goal of becoming a police officer, and here he is," Silva said.

Stockton Police Chief Eric Jones said Serrano's ties to the community will serve him well as a patrol officer.

"Sometimes with our applicant pool, we have to reach out to other communities, but our preference is always people right here in Stockton, because they have a stake in this," said Jones, who presented Serrano with his badge. "They were raised here, and they have pride in their community."

Serrano also has concerns.

He said too many acquaintances from his youth became involved with gangs and drugs, including some who died at a young age. A few years ago, a man was shot and killed on his street, Serrano said. In a separate incident, a woman was shot in the face.

"I've been around rough environments," Serrano said. "I live on the south side of Stockton, and we've had our cars broken into dozens of times. They've taken our stereos. I hear gunshots every day of the week. You want to go out there and do something, but as a citizen, you can only do so much.

"I know how people feel, because I've lived in the same environment they do. I grew up around this environment and these people. I know what they're going through, because I've been through it many times myself. I've been here all my life, and now I'm going to have a chance to go out there and make a difference, and that's exactly what I want to do."